Take me Home, Country Roads
by Stephane Richer
Summary: And drivin down the road I get a feelin that I should have been home yesterday (Emily-centric)


Take me Home, Country Roads

Disclaimer: I own neither Ann M. Martin et al's "The Baby-sitters Club" novels nor John Denver's recording of "Take me Home, Country Roads".

The route is slightly unfamiliar, but Emily has this odd sense of déjà vu; she knows it subconsciously. This place is probably her hometown, though she hasn't been back in five years and for the most part hasn't missed it all that much. Oh, her much-older brother still lives there (he is, after all, the reason she's coming back) but he always comes to visit her and Mom in Stamford—she has no real reason to go back.

The place wasn't all that kind to her, really—she can remember being hustled around, doctor to doctor, stigmatized by all her classmates (children are so cruel!) for being different. Why does she keep getting pulled out of class? If she's special ed why is she with the rest of them? A learning disability, is that another word for stupid? If she's Asian, why is her last name Brewer? It sucked. And then her father died, and her mother, finally fed up with the place, moved them out to Stamford where she could get a better job away from all the bad memories.

She's got half-siblings, too, but she hasn't seen them since she moved out. Their parents won't let them see her, or any of her other siblings, even though they share a father; it's all been long-since-legalized. She remembered Karen was so mad when Mom sold the place and all the heritage that went with it, but she didn't really hold a grudge against Emily for that. But she always asks after Karen and Andrew when Charlie visits. He sees them around, and they're on good terms. By now, Karen has graduated college and is out in the world, but Andrew gives Charlie updates when he's home. But they'll both be home for this, she's sure. After all, Charlie is finally getting married, to a girl from Stoneybrook, no less!

He's having a spring/summer wedding; she's been told it'll be reminiscent of their parents' wedding. She'd have been in before now, but she had to finish up school and graduate. Her mom came back for graduation day, but then she had to immediately drive back to Charlie, to help prepare the wedding.

His fiancée, Janine, is the daughter of Mom's next door neighbors from a long time ago, before Mom and Dad got married. Again, everything goes back to before her. She wishes she remembers the wedding; even Andrew does, though the memory is a bit fuzzy. They all reminisced at Dad's funeral, trying to come up with something a little bit happy. She just sat there and fetched the tissues like a good little girl.

The wedding will be relatively small, in Janine's back yard. It'll only be family—all of her siblings and their spouses where applicable, Mom, Nannie, Janine's parents, Janine's aunt and her family, and Janine's sister and her family. Neither Charlie nor Janine has any very close friends outside the other, but Charlie has always been a bit of a loner and Janine lives in California. Charlie's ready to move out to be with her; he's found a job and everything.

They dated over the internet or something; Emily doesn't know the details. It's okay, though, because however they found one another Charlie seems happy, and she's got a job and so does he and they'll be able to support themselves and be happy. Mom will be awfully lonely, though, but Emily won't be so far away at Fordham. She'll probably end up visiting every weekend, but such is the lot of the youngest child.

Come to think of it, Charlie's what, fifteen or sixteen years older than her? Mom's had a kid or two or seven in the house for almost thirty-five years, with her mother and/or a husband around for most of that time. But, it's inevitable, and Mom's handled it all so well before now; she's kept composed and made the best out of her situation. Nannie's nursing home isn't all that far away, either. Plus, she's always busy with work.

Far ahead, a green sign looms. Emily squints (does she need glasses?) and then she makes out, "Welcome to Stoneybrook." She's here, finally. The suburban sprawl lies out before her, and she passes Polly's Fine Candy (do they still make those giant lollipops?) and houses, houses whose occupants she might be able to pinpoint if she had time. There was the Ramsey house; she remembered being forced to go on playdates with JP (two years younger) because they couldn't find a babysitter but his aunt would watch her. She was a nice lady, if a bit strict and weird. And over there, that's where the Brunos lived. David Michael briefly dated Kerry Bruno, but it ended badly. She finds herself subconsciously following the route to her old neighborhood; she knows this town like the palm of her hand—her parents basically let her run free as a child. Yup, there's the Kilbournes' house, where Kristy's friend Shannon lived, and there was the Hsu place, and old Mrs. Porter's house, the Stevensons', and, sure enough, her old house. It's exactly as she remembered it, the afternoon sun shining off the windows, the screen door banging as a dog runs out onto the lawn, followed by a couple of laughing kids.

But Emily turns off that road and toward Charlie's house, on the other side of town. Too much is too much. It's weird; it's the same but not the same. She feels like crying and isn't sure why. She doesn't really miss this town.

The whole clan is there for dinner when she finally arrives. Sam and Kristy are cooking, a skill that they miraculously picked up somewhere along the line. They're making fried chicken and biscuits, because hey, why not? Charlie and Mom are in the living room with Sam's wife, watching baseball and yelling back to the chefs when something happens. David Michael is cuddling with his wife on the couch, and then Karen and Andrew crush her with hugs. It's been so damn long, and soon she actually is crying. Even Pumpkin, who's gotten pretty old, comes down to investigate, sniffing her hand and headbutting her leg.

Some things never change. Karen chatters at a mile a minute over dinner; Kristy fusses over Andrew and Emily like they're still five and eight; Sam seems to be paying more attention to the game than to everyone else. It's just like old times, only of course it isn't, but it feels so good. It feels so right. Who knows when they'll get together like this again? They won't be coming back here again—Andrew's the only one left, and he doesn't want to stay. There's nothing really here for him. After she leaves, Emily may never travel these roads again. But some doors will slam shut behind you, and she guesses this is one of them.


End file.
